Nissan and Buick marketers recognize the advertising juggernaut that the NFL has become. And their brands, like their rivals, are advertising during this month's NFL Playoffs, and many brand are gearing up for record auto-industry spending to advertise during Super Bowl XLVI on February 5.

But Nissan, its Infiniti luxury brand, and GM's Buick brand also have been making a departure from the football-chasing pack by investing more heavily than the rest in special marketing relationships with college sports, both basketball and football. Infiniti and Buick are the car sponsors of NCAA's March Madness basketball tournament.

And in the meantime, Nissan has been ramping up its ties with college football and the Heisman Trophy, signing a new five-year agreement as a "premier partner" with the award that goes to the game's best player each year. "It's a big strategic opportunity for us," Bill Peffer, Nissan's director of marketing communications, told brandchannel. Nissan wil be able to feature the Heisman Trophy in ads, for instance, and bring the hallowed piece of metal with it now on College Football Experience tours that it brings to football-crazy campuses.Continue reading...

Only in America, as they say. Or in this case, on an American ship -- a big one, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, to be exact.

The ultimate in cross-promotional sports events will unfold this evening as the NCAA takes a cue from the NFL and makes a much bigger deal out of its "opening day" than has been its previous custom. In a 7 p.m. game on ESPN that will pit Michigan State versus No. 1-ranked North Carolina on the custom-made court, there also will be lots of other key tilts and branding opportunities: Former Spartan Magic Johnson vs. former Tar Heel James Worthy. Coaches Izzo vs. Williams. Sponsors Coke Zero vs. Miller High Life. Obama vs. Osama. And Brooklyn Decker vs. -- well, there might not be a match.

The NCAA is really good at ginning up Americans' enthusiasm for basketball in the spring, with March Madness and all. But this represents the college game's biggest attempt yet to turn up the marketing booster rockets beneath a part of the hoops season that typically is pretty limp.Continue reading...

American Express forms venture with French luxury e-tailer, vente-privee.com.

Ashton Kutcher tipped to fill Charlie Sheen void on Two and a Half Men.

Bing continues to capture more searches as Microsoft's antitrust saga comes to an end.

BlackBerry product placement on BBC version of The Apprentice raises eyebrows.

BMW and Audi vie for luxury auto lead.

Bravo TV star Bethenny Frankel sued by former manager for a piece of her just-sold business.

Chevron criticized for corporate citizenship campaign in California.

Facebook claims no smear campaign intended by PR firm Burson-Marsteller vs. Google.Continue reading...

Apple wins reversal of $625.5 million patent-infringement verdict.

Boeing says it was surprised by cracks in 737s.

CBS and Turner TV ratings for NCAA Final Four tourney dip from last year.

Cisco braces for "activist siege."

Discovery-owned Science Channel rebrands to Science.

Facebook scores Obama town hall.

Lady Gaga's country version of Born This Way benefits gay youths.

Satyam and former auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers will pay $17.5 million to settle US fraud suit.

On November 7, 1991 five-time NBA champion and three-time league MVP Irving "Magic" Johnson announced his immediate retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers and pro basketball. Johnson further said that he had tested positive for HIV.

The announcement shocked America, and Johnson became the public face of HIV, challenging Americans who had until then seen (and celebrated) the illness as afflicting only the gay community to come to terms with one its most celebrated athletes being HIV-positive.

So, not a soul would have believed anyone who had said at the time, "In 20 years, Magic Johnson will be the spokesperson for a major brand's line of men's hygiene products." But that's just what happened. During the NCAA tournament, Dove introduced its new campaign — "Journey to Comfort with Magic Johnson."Continue reading...

Rebrand using authenticity marketing that credibly trashes your own pizza products but ends up restoring trust in what you’re doing? Check. Light a fire under the chicken “wing” of your business after essentially ignoring it for a few years? Check. Re-enter national sports marketing after a complete two-year absence? Check.

Domino’s Pizza has ticked off the latest item on its brand-revival agenda by rising off the bench to become the official pizza sponsor of NCAA March Madness. For the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based brand, the men’s college-basketball tournament is its first national sports-marketing sponsorship since pulling out of NASCAR a couple of years ago.Continue reading...

One of the many mistakes that General Motors made over the last several years was letting Pontiac have the franchise for NCAA March Madness. Pontiac’s annual sponsorship of the men’s basketball tournament was the brand’s high-water mark each year — but it couldn’t save the venerable youth-oriented marque from the salvage yard of automotive history.

Buick probably would have been a better match for the tourney sponsorship from the start, as GM’s near-luxury brand has always targeted the young, affluent demographic that happens to be provided by March Madness. It’s a much better fit for driving down the age of Buick buyers than was its partnership with the PGA golf tour – which ended in 2009 before Tiger Woods’ meltdown.

Finally, the error is being rectified.Continue reading...

US announces Japan evacuation plan as more "heroic workers" battle radiation crisis.

Acura extends cross-promotion deal with W Hotels.

Amazon pressured to pay state sales taxes from brick-and-mortar retailers including Wal-Mart and Target.

Citi tops list of banks that received federal aid.

Coca-Cola sees Diet Coke overtake Diet Pepsi for the first time.

GE, eBay and Aflac ranked among the world’s “most ethical” companies.

Groupon said to discuss IPO with valuation of up to $25 billion.Continue reading...